mi-crop-weather
State
Michigan Crop Weather
Released
September 27, 2010
Week Ending Date
September 26, 2010
Issue
MI-CW3910
Agricultural Summary
Fall Weather Arrives
Five days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 26,
according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Fieldwork and harvest
continued across much of the state this week, however a few thunderstorms and
strong winds slowed fieldwork in some areas. There were some reports of winds
taking down some corn. Activities for the week included harvesting, wheat
planting, soil testing, cleaning and treating bins for proper grain storage,
and tilling.
Field Crops Report
Field Crops
Field crops made steady progress during the week despite less than ideal
weather conditions a couple of days. Rain showers interrupted harvest for
nearly the entire state at least one day of the week. This left fields too
wet for equipment for a day after the rain. Crops in the lower third of the
state endured high winds midweek that resulted in minimal scattered damage to
fields. Crops continued to be maturing all at once as maturity continued to
progress north. Corn harvest progressed at a quicker than normal pace with 19
percent of the crop harvested. Reporters are indicating mixed reactions about
production. While some had higher expectations, others were well pleased.
"It's a once in a lifetime corn crop," said a reporter from Muskegon County.
"The corn is dry but the stalks are very green. It is an unusual situation
for Northern Michigan," said one reporter from Missaukee County. Soybeans
were also harvested earlier than normal. Harvest was just getting underway in
Clare and Clinton Counties. Sugarbeet harvest continued well ahead of normal
pace with "sugar content running around 16.5%", according to a Bay County
reporter. Open harvest is expected to begin mid to late October. Farmers were
anxious to get an early start on wheat planting. Many acres were planted as
soon as soybeans were harvested. A small amount of alfalfa was being cut as
the season drew to a close
Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report
Fruit
Harvest of apples continued. McIntosh and Gala harvests have ended. Cortland,
Empire, Jonathan, Honeycrisp, and Red and Golden Delicious continued to be
harvested. Fruit color has improved in the southeast. Harvest of peaches and
pears has ended. Grapes continued to be harvested. Concord harvesting should
be finished this week. Downy mildew infections were seen in the southeast,
southwest, and northwest. Fall raspberries continued to be harvested.
Vegetables
Growers continued to remove stakes and black plastic in preparation for
planting of fall cover crops. Crops harvested included: cauliflower,
broccoli, pumpkins, gourds, hard squash, carrots, winter squash, cabbage,
yellow squash, zucchini for fresh and processing, cucumbers for pickles,
potatoes, snap beans, peppers, and tomatoes for fresh and processing. Late
season cole crops were under heavy pressure from diamond back moths and
imported cabbage worm. Powdery mildew has been difficult to control in
pumpkins and winter squash in the Macomb County area. Cooler weather will
bring an end to the harvests of cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash, peppers
and tomatoes in the southwest. Quality has been good on peppers and tomatoes.
Snap bean growers were pleased with harvest despite dry conditions.
Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables
Soil moisture for week ending 09/26/10
---------------------------------------------
: Very : : :
Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus
---------------------------------------------
: Percent
:
Topsoil : 8 18 69 5
Subsoil : 7 31 61 1
---------------------------------------------
Crop condition for week ending 09/26/10
-----------------------------------------------------------
: Very : : : :
Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent
-----------------------------------------------------------
: Percent
:
All Hay : 1 6 26 48 19
Corn : 2 6 18 48 26
Pasture : 1 17 31 40 11
Soybeans : 2 6 24 48 20
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Crop progress for week ending 09/26/10
----------------------------------------------------------------
: This : Last : Last : 5-year
Crop : week : week : year :average
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: Percent
:
All hay, third cutting : 88 82 79 85
All hay, fourth cutting : 49 40 32 30
Apples, harvested : 62 47 29 37
Corn, mature : 90 75 18 59
Corn, harvested : 19 13 0 5
Corn silage, harvested : 96 88 35 73
Dry beans, harvested : 76 64 39 52
Potatoes, harvested : 37 27 38 45
Soybeans, turning leaves : 98 92 80 92
Soybeans, dropping leaves : 86 66 49 68
Soybeans, harvested : 17 5 1 8
Sugarbeets, harvested : 21 16 7 6
Winter wheat, planted : 19 8 18 19
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Contact Information
U.S. Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
Michigan Field Office
P.O. Box 26248
Lansing, MI 48909-6248
517-324-5300; or 800-453-7501
Fax 517-324-5299
email: nass-mi@nass.usda.gov
Web Page: http:/www.nass.usda.gov/mi
The Michigan Weather Summary was unavailable at the time of publication.